Umbrella-runner.



(No Modei.)

Pdten'ted Nov. 28, I899.

s. E. SMITH. UMBRELLA RUNNER.

(Application filed June 28, 1899.)

' A rromvns' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. SMITH, OF OLEAN, NEW YORK.

UMBRELLA-RUNNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,074, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed June 28,1899. Serial No. 722,159. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. SMITH, of Olean, in the county of Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Umbrella-Runners,of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

My invention relates to improvements in umbrella-runners; and it has for its object to provide a device which will make it unnecessary for the operator to engage the latchspring of an umbrella with his thumb.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and the novel features pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figurel is an elevation of an umbrella constructed according to my invention, the cover being omitted. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view with the runner in section, shown in its lowermost position. Fig. 3 shows the same parts with the latch-spring released. Fig. t shows the runner in its uppermost position, and Fig. 5 illustrates another construction with the runner in its lowermost position.

The umbrella comprises the stick A, ribs B, stretchers O, and runner D. All of these parts except the runner D may be of substantially the usual construction. The stick A has a lower spring-latch A and an upper spring-latch A in longitudinal alinement. The runner D, as shown in Figs. 1 to a, consists of two sleeves, the inner sleeve D being substantially in the shape of an ordinary runner-that is, connected with the stretchers O and having'a slot D for the passage of the latch-springs A A?.

Surrounding the inner sleeve D, I arrange an outer sleeve D which may be connected thereto by collars D D and upon said outer sleeve is secured, as at D, a double spring E, carrying at its ends linger-pieces E, project ing outwardly through the sleeve D These finger-pieces correspondin location to the upper and lower ends of the spring-latches A and A, respectively.

The operation will be readily understood from Figs. 2, 3, and t. Fig. 2 shows the umbrella locked in the closed position. When it is desired to open the umbrella, the lower finger-piece E is pressed, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby forcing the spring-latch A inward to allow the runner to slide upward in the usual manner. The runner then locks in the upper position, as shown in Fig. 4, and may be released therefrom by pressing the upper fin ger-piece E inward, so as to force the springlatch A into the stick A. I might omit the upper or lower part of the spring E and the corresponding linger-piece, leaving one of the latches A A to be operated in the usual way, the sleeve D being for this purpose cut away at the corresponding end, so as to afford access to the said latch.

A simplified form of the invention is shown in Fig. 5, in which the stick A is provided with collars A A provided with recesses A at one side, said recesses having overhanging lips A The runner D is of somewhat larger diameter than usual to accommodate the spring E secured at D and provided with two finger-pieces E The spring at its ends has hooks or catches E adapted to project into the recesses A and to look by engagement with the lips A. The operation of this form of my invention will be obvious.

It will be seen that the invention is very simple and that the operator has to engage only the finger-piece E or E thus avoiding injury incident to the use of the ordinary runners.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A runner for umbrellas, comprising an inner sleeve slotted for the passage of the locking-latch, an outer sleeve surrounding said inner sleeve concentrically, and a spring secured to the outer sleeve and carrying a tinger-piece movable transversely of the runner through the outer sleeve and adapted to force the spring against the latch, substantially as described.

2. An umbrella=runner,comprising an inner sleeve adapted to fit the umbrella-stick and provided with a slot for the passage ofthe lockfinge r-pieces carried by the ends of the sprin g ing-latches, an outer sleeve surrounding the and projecting through the outer sleeve. inner sleeve concentrically and secured thereto at both ends, a spring secured by its cen- SAMUEL SMITH 5 tral portion to the center of the outer sleeve Witnesses:

on the inside thereof, said spring extending HARRY A. SUTTON,

longitudinally between the two sleeves, and JOHN B. SMITH. 

